Authorities in the Lakes State ministry of cooperatives and rural development have confirmed that they procured 1,800 bags of maize and supplied the market in Rumbek at a subsidized price to mitigate soaring commodity prices.
The state’s cooperatives minister, Rebecca Enock Machuoch, told Radio Tamazuj that they supplied the maize flour to reduce the price of food commodities in the Rumbek market.
“A month ago, we contracted a company which brought for us food commodities some of which are already in the market and other items are in the store,” she said. “The maize flour has no chemicals and is very clean and is packaged in 10, 25, and 50 kg bags.”
Minister Machuoch said the 10 kg bag will be sold at SSP 6,200, 25 kg at 15,000 and the 50 kg bag will go for SSP 29,000.
“Next month, we may procure different varieties of food commodities which will allow Lakes States citizens to buy food at affordable prices,” she said.
The minister said she has in the past held several meetings with traders in an effort to reduce commodity prices but the merchants have always said they were not responsible for the soaring prices.
“I have held several meetings with traders in the market concerning the prices of basic food items but they always tell me that the issue of prices does not belong to them as traders,” she said. That is why we as a government decided to find an alternative solution to lower the price of food commodities in the market. We contracted a local company which supplied maize brought from Greater Equatoria and not Uganda.”
Minister Machuoch directed the people of Lakes State to go and procure affordable maize flour from the cooperatives ministry’s shop near the Rumbek Police Station. She also said promised that in the next round of supply, her ministry will cater to the counties-even far-flung ones like Rumbek North.
“My message to the people in the counties is that in the coming month we are going to supply the rest of the remaining counties with food items to cater for those who cannot come and buy from Rumbek,” she said.